Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-01-28

In short, old party lines and preiudices
are crIObling a97sss--aasf11dG. with tae burial
OF fhssA,oody shirt and the division of the
| colored vote, the white people Of the South
breathe free once more, and are ready to
divide on questions of finance, of tariff and
other questions of political economy
| without the overshadowing fear of great
social evils, which rendered all other ques-
tion secondary-and made the ''solid
South" necessity, not a choice.
Very truly yours.
JAMES A. WALKER.
Inter State Commerce Bill.
THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT-L oNG
AND SHORT HAUL CLAUSE.
The Interstate comm erce bill, as agreed
upon by both houses of Congress, in its
first section applies the provisions of this
act to any common carrier engaged in
the transportation of passengers wholly
by railroad, or partly by railroad and part
ly by water when both are used under q
common control, management Or arrange
nent, through more than one State or
| Territory, or from any place in the United
States to an adjacent foreign country. 1t
| defines the term RAILROAD" to include all
| bridges and ferries used or operated by
any railroad. All charges made for any
service rendered in the transportation Of
| passengers or property shall be reasonable
and just, and every unjust and unreason-
| able charge for such service is prohibited
and declared to be unlawful.
| Section two makes it unlawful for any
n @ n N G
| of this act, to charge, demand, collect Or
| receive directly Or indirectly. from any
| person or persons, a greater Or less COM
| pansatiOn for any service rendered in the
transportation OF passengers or prOpert y
than it charges, demands, collects Or re-
ceiyes from any other person rpersons for
dong for him or them like, and contem-
poraneous service in the transportation OF
a like kind Of traffic under substantially
similar circumstances and conditions.
Section three makes it unlawful for any
| common carrier subject to the provisions
Of this act to make or give any undue or
| unreasonable preference or advantage to
any particular person, company, firm, cor
poratlon or locality, or any particular de-
scription of traffic. Every common carrier
subject to the provisions of this act, shall,
according to their respective powers, af-
ford all reasonable, proper and equal faci-
lities for the Interchange Of traffic between
their respective lines, and for tue reeeiv-
ing, forwarding and delivering of passan-
ger and property to and from their several
lines and those connecting Herewith, and
shall not discriminate in their rates and
charges between such connecting lines.
Sections four and five 1.-THE long and
short haul and pooling section 81 are as
follows:
Section 4. That it shall be unlawful for any
common carrier subject to the provisions of
tn is act to charge or receive any greater COM
pensation in the aggregate for the transporta-
ton OF passengers or of like kind of property,
under substantially similar circumstances and
conditions, for shorter than for longer dis
tance over the same line in the same d1rec-
ton, the shorter being included within longer
distances but this shall Lot be construed as
authorizing any common carrier within the
term of this act to charge and receive as great
compensation for 81 shorter as for longer dis
lance provided, however, that upon the appll-
cation to the. commission appointed under the
may, in special cases after investigation by
the commission, be authorized to charge less
for the transportation of passengers or proper
ty, and the commission may from TIME TO
time prescribe the extent to which such desig-
mated common carrier may be relieved from
the operation of this section.
section 5. That it shall be unlawful for any
common carrier subject to the pro visions of
this act to enter into any contract, agreement
or comb nation with any other co mmon carrier
or carriers for the pooling OF fre1ghts OF differ
ent and competing railroads. or to divide be-
tween them the aggregate net proceeds of
the earnings of SUCH railroads or any portion
thereof and in any case OF an agreement for
pooling OF freights aforesaid each day of its
contin uance shall be deemed separate Of
fence.
Section requires that after ninety avs
from the passage of the act every common
carrier subject TO its provisions shall have
printed and keep for public inspection
schedules showing it's rates, fares, and
charges, and in addition requiring the
pa dc tn DIX than all of
the dep0ts on their several lines 1t gives
authority to the commission. where it is
proper and necessary. to require them to
give publicity to their raj es TO other places
beyond the lines Of their several railroads.
1t also provides that rates, fares, and
charges shall not be raised, except after
ten days of public notice, but that they
may be reduced without previous public
notice. The notice, however, shall be
simultaneously with the reduction itself.
Section 7 makes it unlawful for any
common carrier to enter into any COM
bination or any agreement to prevent the
carriage OF frelghts from being continu-
Gus from the place OF shipment to the
place of destination.
Section s declares that any common
carrier violating the provisions of the act
shall be liable to the person OF persons in.
jured thereby for the full amount Of dam
ages sustained in consequence OF Sucb vi
olatiou. together with reasonable counsel
Or attorneys fees.
The 9th section provides that persons
claiming to have been damaged by the &C
ton of common carriers may proceed for
the recovery of their damages eiJher in the
courts of the United States or before the
Commission herein provided for, but not
before both tribunals.
The 10th section makes it penal offence
to violate any of the provisions of this act,
and puts the maximum of the fine which
may be imposed at the sum of SIS, 000
The eleven following. sections contain
the commission features of the bill They
provide for commission to consist Of five
persons, whose term Of office shall De for
six years, except for the first appoint
ments, which are to be for two, three,
four, five and six years. The members of
this commission are to be appointed by
the President, by and with the advice of :
the Senate. Their principal office shall be
in Washington, but they may hold sessions |
at other places than Washington, and |
a single member of the commission may !
take testimony anywhere as may be direc !
ted by the commission. These commits |
sl0ners have salaries OF 81 500 each. The |
has power to appoint a secre-
tary With an annual salary Of So, 800, and |
has authority to employ and fix the
Of such other employees as
it may find necessary to the proper per-
Torrance Of it's duties to the approval of |
the Secretary of the Interior.
Section Y provides that nothing con-
Iained in this act shall abridge the rene
lies now existing at any common law orby
statute.
Section % appropriates 800 900 for the
purpose OF Gfels act for tine fiscal year en-